Campanula plant named ‘Blue Rivulet’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Campanula  plant named ‘Blue Rivulet’, characterized by its compact and outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and violet blue-colored star-shaped flowers with lighter colored centers.

Botanical designation: Campanula poscharskyana.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Blue Rivulet’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Campanula, botanically known as Campanula poscharskyana and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Blue Rivulet’.

The new Campanula originated from an open-pollination of the Campanula poscharskyana ‘Camgood’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,161, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Campanula poscharskyana, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Campanula was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Bressingham, United Kingdom in 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new Campanula by cuttings in Bressingham, United Kingdom, since July, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Campanula are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Campanula have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Blue Rivulet’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Blue Rivulet’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact and outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Violet blue-colored star-shaped flowers with lighter colored         centers.

Plants of the new Campanula differ from plants of the female parent, ‘Camgood’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Campanula have shorter flowering stems than         plants of ‘Camgood’.     -   2. Plants of the new Campanula produce flowering stems all over         the plant whereas plants of ‘Camgood’ only produce flowering         stems towards the outside of the plant.     -   3. Plants of the new Campanula and ‘Camgood’ differed slightly         in flower color.

Plants of the new Campanula can be compared to plants of the Campanula ‘Emerald’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,343. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Campanula differed from plants of the ‘Emerald’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Campanula were more compact and not as         upright as plants of ‘Emerald’.     -   2. Plants of the new Campanula had shorter and broader leaves         than plants of ‘Emerald’.     -   3. Plants of the new Campanula had darker-colored flowers than         plants of ‘Emerald’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Campanula.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Blue Rivulet’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of ‘Blue Rivulet’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the winter and early spring in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Lancaster, Pa. for five months. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures averaging 18° C.

-   Botanical classification: Campanula poscharskyana ‘Blue Rivulet’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Campanula poscharskyana ‘Camgood’, disclosed             in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,161.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Campanula poscharskyana,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten days at 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 30 days at             20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; greyed white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Herbaceous perennial. Compact and outwardly spreading             to trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; vigorous             growth habit. Campanulate flowers arranged in terminal and             axillary clusters.         -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 37 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About 15             primary branches each with numerous lateral branches.             Length: About 27 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Internode             length: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical to cordate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Acute to cordate.         -   Margin.—Irregularly crenate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 137B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to             N137A; venation, 137C. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: Close to 137C; venation, close to 137C.         -   Petiole length.—About 7.7 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—Close to 137D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate star-shaped             flowers arranged in terminal and axillary clusters; flowers             face outwardly to upright. Freely flowering, about 30             flowers per lateral branch.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from late May             until mid-summer in Pennsylvania.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five to seven days;             flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Color: Close to 90B.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 3.8 cm. Depth (height): About 2 cm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl; fused. Length:             About 1.8 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex:             Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 90B. When opening, lower surface: Close to             90D. Fully opened, upper surface: Towards the apex, close to             90C; center, close to 90D; towards the base, close to 85C;             midvein, close to 90A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to             90D; venation, similar to lamina.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl; fused. Length:             About 1.1 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Narrowly lanceolate.             Apex: Acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Aspect: About 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Anther shape: Narrowly lanceolate. Anther length: About             3 mm. Anther color: Close to 155A. Filament length: About             2.5 mm. Filament color: Close to N155D. Pollen amount:             Scarce to moderate. Pollen color: Close to 155A. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.7 cm.             Stigma shape: Narrowly lanceolate and becoming three-parted             with development. Stigma color: Close to 90B. Style length:             About 1 cm. Style color: Close to 90C to 90D. Ovary color:             Close to 157C.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Campanula have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Campanula. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Campanula have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to be suitable for     USDA Zones 4 to 7. 

1. A new and distinct Campanula plant named ‘Blue Rivulet’ as illustrated and described. 